Farmers' Week in Agricultural College. 



205 



the State would be so large that only a very narrow-minded person would 

 object to the expenditure. This would entail additional work for our 

 secretary, which is a matter of regret to me, as we all know that our 

 very efficient secretary, Mr. C. B. Hutchison, has attended to the duties 

 of his office during the year in addition to his class work in the College 

 of Agriculture. I take pleasure now in thanking him for his services 

 and regret that thanks is all the compensation he is to receive from 

 the office. 



As we look backward and review the work of our Association, the 

 trials and tribulations of its officers, their earnest efforts, their sacrifices 

 of time and money, I feel how much I have lacked of doing my full 

 duty, yet we look into the future with every confidence that this is only 

 the beginning of the glorious work which this Association is destined to 

 accomplish. Let us redouble our efforts in the future, so that every 

 citizen of this great State will be as proud of this Association as are the 

 members at the present time. 



INCREASING THE YIELD OF OUR CEREAL CROPS. 



(E. G. Montgomery, Experimental Agronomy, University of Nebraska. Address De- 

 livered at Columbia During Missouri Farmers' Week.) 



Increasing the yield of cereal crops resolves 

 itself into three principal lines : 

 ^fljjj^^^ 1. The selection of best varieties. 



^ ^^^ 2. Improvement of these varieties, either by 



jm^ 4lK |f the acclimatization or some method of plant breed- 



ing. 



3. Improved soil culture. 

 jjt ^^^^ The importance of using the right varieties is 



j^m^^^^mm wen mustrated by the results of variety tests con- 

 ducted at the Nebraska Experiment Station. Some 

 twenty-five varieties of corn have been tested. As 

 an example the average yields of the two best and the two poorest yield- 

 ing varieties for four years are as follows : 



CORN. 



E. G. Montgomery. 



1902. 



1903. 



1904. 



1905. 



Average 



Hogue's Yellow Dent 

 Ried's Yellow Dent. . 



Riley's Favorite 



Silver Mine 



74.0 

 71.0 

 60.1 

 59.1 



State average, 31 bushels. 



